White House press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE struggled to answer the press’ questions about why the famously glad-handy Biden would holster his policy-shaker. The doctor’s sudden order minimizes the risk that such a picture will flash across TV screens in the coming days. The new policy comes at a convenient time, as Biden’s team knows the trip’s most damaging image would be one of the president pressing palms with Saudi Crown Prince MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN. That’s the approach we’re taking,” he said. “We’re in a phase of the pandemic right now where we’re looking to increase masking, reduce contact to minimize spread. National security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN told reporters that the president would restrict his handshakes while in the Middle East to protect against new Covid-19 variants. HANDSHAKE-GATE: Biden’s trip got its first “controversy” while Air Force One was still in the sky. If I were a resident of Jerusalem - suffering through enhanced security protocols and enduring the sight of American reporters sweating profusely in my city’s streets - I’d expect much more for all the trouble. As the Economist put it sharply in a preview Tuesday, the entire visit “will be an exercise in banality.” and Israel, though there’ll be a new high-level dialogue on technology and a quadrilateral forum known as “ I2U2” - which I’m told is not a droid but apparently some acronym for the member nations of Israel, India, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.īiden is here because, well, he needed to visit Saudi Arabia, and it’s not a good look for an American president to show up in the Middle East and not pop into Israel. And he’s not expected to announce some broad initiative between the U.S.
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Biden didn’t come to Jerusalem to broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians, though he emphasized Wednesday that a two-state solution remains “the best way” forward. “It didn’t come as a surprise, but we’re of course happy he didn’t change course,” one official said.ĭespite the fanfare, it’s still not quite clear what all the fuss is about. An Israel official said how thrilled the government is that Biden will reinforce policies put in place by former President DONALD TRUMP, namely the Abraham Accords and the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The motorcade to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum passed a sign that read “Jerusalem Welcomes President Biden.”īeyond the pomp and circumstance, there’s policy. But when that guest is the American president, the occasion is even grander. MOSHE LION, Jerusalem’s mayor, told a large gathering of reporters and local officials Tuesday that it’s always exciting when a nation’s leader visits the country. That’s still up in the air, as authorities locked down the streets the moment Biden landed.ĭespite the logistical difficulties, Israelis are still more than happy to receive Biden. The drivers aren’t alone: An Israeli official who helped me set up a meeting for tomorrow asked if it was even possible to get to my location. Leaving the designated press hotel - just steps from where Biden will reside - I overheard a staffer say that taxis didn’t want to commute to our area because of all the security measures in place. But even so, nearly all of the countless shops in the Old City were closed, and traffic was light. Yes, I woke up very early to get some tourism in and beat the heat. What struck me most this morning, though, was how the usually bustling city was at such a standstill.
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And while I didn’t see it firsthand, the Israeli Ministry of Defense said it constructed a “secure compound” at Ben-Gurion International Airport, ensuring Biden and Israeli leaders were protected from the moment the U.S. A large tent was already set outside the hotel, with armed guards surrounding the perimeter. The streets to the King David hotel, where Biden will stay during his three days in Israel, are lined with metal barriers and adorned with American and Israeli flags. JERUSALEM - Your host took an early-morning walk in Jerusalem today, finding a quiet but fortified city anticipating President JOE BIDEN’s imminent arrival. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Quint
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With help from Paul McLeary and Daniel Lippman Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, and Israel's President Isaac Herzog at the Hall of Remembrance of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, Wednesday, July 13, 2022. President Joe Biden, center, speaks with U.S.